Bud
by captainzarina
Summary: SPOILERS for HTTYD2. Toothless and Hiccup had yet to really talk about what happened that day. AU in which all dragons can shapeshift into humans. Not a romantic toothcup. (Unless you decide to interpret it that way, I guess?)


Toothless hadn't taken his human form since it happened. His natural form meant a more limited communication with humans, specifically with Hiccup. They were on good terms now, and Toothless didn't want to jeopardize that. Hiccup may not have made peace with his father's death, but he _had_ made peace with Toothless' role in it.

He hoped.

It certainly seemed as such, but Hiccup was so busy taking over as chief of Berk, as well as being busy just being Hiccup, that he really didn't talk about it. So maybe he _was_ still mad.

Toothless wouldn't blame him if that was the case. He knew, deep down, that he had no way of escaping the Alpha's call at the time, but he still felt like he should have managed to.

That night, Toothless was a human for the first time in weeks. He sat on the floor in the corner of Hiccup's bedroom, as Hiccup himself lay fast asleep. In his hands was one of the two helmets that usually were stored beneath Hiccup's bed. This one was the smaller of the two.

Stoick's.

_I'm so sorry_,was the thought that kept running through Toothless' mind. Gobber said Stoick was at the Table of Kings, now. Toothless hoped it was true. He squeezed his eyes shut as the helmet rattled in his shaking hands. They were always shaking now, his hands or his wings. Always shaking.

The worst part was he couldn't even remember doing it. To some, that might have been a comfort, but to Toothless, it just served as a reminder of how weak he'd been. So he sat there, trying to remember the moment.

And then he heard someone walk over. It was Hiccup, of course, and Toothless opened his eyes and looked up. Hiccup was holding his own helmet in his hands.

"I like to keep them together," he said, and though he didn't sound angry at all, Toothless felt a pang of guilt. _Together_. Just like Hiccup and Stoick should be.

Toothless handed over Stoick's helmet, and Hiccup gave a small, lopsided smile. "I don't know how these were both part of my mother's breastplate."

"You don't have to joke to make me feel better."

Hiccup shrugged, and as he sat down beside Toothless, said, "Yeah, well, maybe I have to joke to make _me_ feel better," he admitted reluctantly. "I haven't seen you looking like this in a while."

Toothles rolled his shoulders back and sighed. "Yeah, I guess… I didn't want to talk."

"Toothless, I know it wasn't your fault. I told you before, you would never hurt him. You couldn't control it."

"I think that's what bothers me the most, though. I mean, you got through to me eventually… Why couldn't I break out of it _then_?"

"I think… The first time, I was just _scared_. But when I got to you, I was coming from the heart," Hiccuup theorized. Toothless just grunted, so Hiccup went on, "Look, Bud, there's no denying that this will be hard for the both of us, but I don't want you to worry about me being mad at you. I promise I'm not."

Toothless didn't understand _why_ not, but he could not think of a single time when Hiccup had lied to him. So he nodded. And then he felt a new wave of guilt; here was Hiccup, whose father had died less than a month ago, and _he_ was comforting _Toothless_.

He was a horrible friend, but he could try to change that, at least.

"Do you want to talk about it? I don't know if you've been talking to your mom, or Gobber, or Astrid…"

Hiccup shook his head. "Mom, a little, but I don't feel ready to talk about it with Astrid. And Gobber's in a really bad place, too, so…"

"So talk to me."

Their eyes locked, and Hiccup sighed after a moment. "Okay. Okay, yeah, it's probably a good idea."

"How… How _are_ you doing?" Toothless asked cautiously.

"As well as I can be, I guess. I keep thinking he'll be back, and then every time I remember he's not… It hurts."

"It sounds painful."

"Yeah. And I guess I'm just worried. Mom says I've made him proud, but I don't know how to be a chief, even with all the help I'm getting."

"I know you can do it, though. Hiccup, you're the smartest, bravest person in this village."

Hiccup laughed sadly. "Thanks, Bud."

"I'll help if I can."

"I'd like that. You know what, Bud? We're going to be okay."

"I hope so."

"Hey, we have each other, don't we? And as a team, we've never lost."

Toothless supposed that was true, and he reached over and ruffled Hiccup's hair. "You've got that right."

Hiccup swatted his hand away, amused, and stood up. "Thanks for the talk. Really. I'm gonna turn in. If you want to stay like that, you can sleep on my workbench like you usually do, or I can figure out something more comfortable."

"I think I'll get the wings back and sleep on the rough. Goodnight, Hiccup."

"Night, Bud."

Toothless left their home and shapeshifted back into the form of a dragon and fluttered onto the roof.

His wings weren't shaking.


End file.
